


Saving Him

by MindfulChaos



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Dimension, Alternate Timeline, F/M, Minor Violence, Minor death, Original Character - Freeform, Short Chapter, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25864771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MindfulChaos/pseuds/MindfulChaos
Summary: There are those among us who are not totally of the mortal coil. They are. . .different. We know them as the "weird" ones, the odd ones out. These are the Chosen, the people that keep the balance between worlds and dimensions, that defend and protect those that need it, who save those that need to be saved. The power within them grants them unimaginable abilities. One chosen is about to come of age and discover that reality is not all what it seems. The world of Naruto. . . is REAL?[All original ideas not related to "Naruto" are copyrighted © 2020 MindfulChaos]
Relationships: OC/Gaara





	1. Chosen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A voice comes to Kira in a dream, and she realizes her power.

_ “You. . . are the next, Kira” an ominous voice proclaimed in the dark void, toneless, but thundering. _

_ "What?" I asked, befuddled. Trying in vain to find the source of the voice. _

_ "You are a chosen....a mortal, but not. A brave hero, yet also a kind, forgiving soul." the voice continued. "You have noticed that you are different, noticed that you don't fit in with anyone, experiencing things no one else has, and probably won't." _

_"The things described in your poems, in your dreams, all come from the lore of the Chosen, the saviors of the worlds that exist within the fabric of space and time. You will learn of what it truly means. You must go. He suffers. He is the one you must save." The void began to brighten, swirling into crimson. “The strength inside you will be personified. It will be your curse, and your aid, in the world.”_

_ Confused, I thought of who the voice could be talking about. And what did they mean, personified strength? My eyes widened. _

_ "Wait! He's not real! He's only an anime character!" I protested, screaming to the fading voice. _

_ "Through blood and power you shall go. Through pain and strife you shall fight. Through compassion and kindness you shall heal and love. Go and save Him before he loses to himself."  _

_ And with that, I was sucked into the crimson swirls, screaming. . . _

* * *

I woke up with a start, sitting straight up in my bed, panic flooding through me. Was it actually a dream? Or did that really happen? I’d had weirder things happen to me. 

_ "Through Blood and power you shall go," That's what the voice in my dream said....what did it mean? _ I thought to myself, twirling a lock of my dark brown hair, calming down a bit. I was confident I could figure it out. But in the meantime, I was getting the itch to write again. 

_ I must have slept with my shoes and clothes on again,  _ I thought, looking down at my snug cargo shorts and black t-shirt. Wiggling my toes, I noticed one of my socks fell off at some point. Typical. 

Accepting that I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon, I grabbed the black leather notebook and my favorite fountain pen from her bedside table to write some more poems. Was what I dreamed and wrote about really the 'lore', as the voice had called it? Whatever it was, it was demanding to be written. The words flew out of me:

_ A portal opened and a King all but grown _

_ Fell through to a world not too different,  _

_ But noticed henceforth it was not his own, _

_ There being two suns, magnificent! _

_ His heart beat with a newfound rhythm, _

_ A guiding beat urging his feet to movement,  _

_ A feeling there was someone to save, a victim, _

_ Enemies to find and slay with swift judgement.  _

_ It was then he realized the world was a dream, _

_ A direct vision of what he saw when he slept, _

_ What he thought reflected his personal themes,  _

_ Spending time with Simona before waking bereft.  _

_ A feeling of purpose swelled in his breast,  _

_ Remembering a voice in his head,  _

_ A thundering voice bestowing a quest, _

_ He was to be the first for the trouble ahead.  _

_ Later on the battlefield with Kingdom and Love,  _

_ Surrounded by enemies and tired to the bone,  _

_ His battered, bloodstained face looked above _

_ Calling out to the void that no one ever die alone.  _

_ Looking to his warrior Queen Simona at his side, _

_ He raised his sword and rallied his loyal soldiers, _

_ Determined to save the kingdom his quest abide,  _

_ He defeated the enemy, the world on his shoulders.  _

I wrote down every line that came into my head, scribbling furiously. When I was finished, the urge in me died, and Iwas satisfied. As I went to put my notebook and pen back on my oak bedside table, I accidentally stabbed my freaking finger with the pen. 

"Damn it!" I swore, clutching at my right pointer finger. As the blood welled, so did a strange feeling in my body. 

_ What's going on? I usually feel dizzy when I cut myself, I feel...energized, like....power! Is that what it is? _ I thought, watching her blood start to ooze down my finger. The Voice’s words came back into my head.

_ "Through blood and power you shall go. . ." Is this the power the voice was talking about?  _ A swirl of blue started to form a foot in front of me, getting bigger every second. Words came to my mind, crowding the back of my throat, demanding to be uttered.

“I accept my destiny, accept my path. With blood and word I entreat thee open!” I yelled. Wisps of the substance flicked around me, as if searching for something. On instinct, I thrust my bleeding finger into the swirl. It pulsed, and the tingling feeling in my veins intensified. On contact the swirl opened up to form a circle with a center of silver. I quickly pulled her hand out. As I did, the silver center flashed, nearly blinding me. The light filled my room. I screamed to the pulsing mass as a wind suddenly sprang up, engulfing me, but impossibly not affecting the rest of my small, messy room.

_ Where in the hell did that come from? _ I asked myself, trying to calm myself. Hadn’t always hoped something like this would happen? It rang of fate. Immediately, the powerful feeling inside me increased, painfully filling me up. Screaming in agony, I fell to my knees. Just as darkness was creeping into my vision, the power rushed out of me in a blue stream and entered the pulsing silver center.

All of a sudden, the silver center disappeared and was replaced by an image of a small stone obelisk with a swirl like symbol etched on it, worn and grey.The punishing wind had ceased, and I could hear birds chirping and leaves rustling. Amazed, I stared in wonder. Standing up, I bravely faced the gate. 

_ That symbol is of Konoha, so I assume that's where this. . . gate. . . leads. How is that possible? It’s fictional, isn’t it? _ I stared at the obelisk. I could smell the air, fresh and free. The urge to enter the gate was so strong. But self-doubt rose up inside me. Was I crazy? Would I wake up strapped down to a bed in a nut house when it was all over? Would I still have a job if sI ever came back? What about my apartment? I mentally slapped myself when trivial worries welled up inside me. 

“If I am one of these Chosen, and I was meant to open this gate, meant to go through it and experience this amazing world, then I need to go.” I looked around the room and spotted my shoes. Throwing them on, I snagged my notebook and tucked it into one of the pockets of my shorts. I faced the gate again. Traveling light seemed the best option right now. I giggled out loud at the absurdity of what I was about to attempt. Go through a magical gate I created with my blood and some strange power a mysterious voice unlocked within me while I dreamed to Konoha, the Hidden Leaf Village from my favorite anime, Naruto? To save one of my favorite characters? Insane. 

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and without hesitating, stepped into the pulsing mass. The gate disappeared with a silent blink. All that remained was a drop of blood on the white carpet and a delicate light green leaf slowly falling through the air.


	2. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kira finds herself in the world of "Naruto," but isn't greeted with open arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Previously, Chapter 1: Chosen)
> 
> Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and without hesitating, stepped into the pulsing mass. The gate disappeared with a silent blink. All that remained was a drop of blood on the white carpet and a delicate light green leaf slowly falling through the air.

Birds were chirping when I woke up, groggily opening my eyes. I was in a forest, I realized, all brown-trunked trees with thousands of green, fluttering leaves. But where exactly was I? I sat up, and immediately regretted it; my head pounded as if someone had thwacked me over the head with an anvil. I grasped my head in my hands, stifling a groan. I blearily looked at the ground I had been laying on, and found a rock where my head had been. 

_ So that's what gave me this headache _ , I thought to myself, getting slowly up from the ground.  That's when I heard the voices. They sounded male, pissed, and loud, approaching unbelievably fast. I didn't have any time to hide. 

Three men burst out of the trees, arguing with each other as I stood there, gaping at them. They seemed to have flown out of the uppermost branches, faster than I had seen anyone move. They landed in the clearing, finally noticing me. The leader, I suppose, looked me over and grinned evilly. He and his cohorts were wearing headbands with some sort of crossed out symbols on them, green vests, cargo pants, and.... blue sandal-like blue shoes?

"Hey, there. Are you lost or something?" The leader asked me, still smiling. His two buddies were laughing. 

_ I get the feeling they aren’t going to be very helpful _ , I thought to myself.

"Um, I don't think so. My, uh, house should be nearby. I Just strayed a bit from the path, that's all." I said a bit shakily, smiling unconvincingly. The men chuckled again, moving towards me. It was then I realized I had no idea where I was, or what my name was. I tried to swallow the panic welling up inside my gut. 

"What's your name, Sweetheart? I don't remember seeing you in Konoha before." Puzzled, I stopped my slow back peddling.

"I don't know!" I blurted without thinking. I stared in fear at the men, any courage I had now gone. I really didn't remember anything! I had no memory.

"It doesn't matter Kiasho," one of the other men said, "we do need something fun to keep our minds off our failed mission. . ." He smiled cruelly, looking me up and down again. “She doesn’t look like anyone from the village. No one will know. She’s probably some wench from another village that no one will miss.” 

"Let’s have fun boys," Kiasho said. All three of the men started in earnest towards me. Without realizing what I was doing, I turned and sprinted off into the forest, adrenaline pumping strongly. 

Something whizzed past me as I ran. It stuck into a tree far ahead of me; it had missed me by mere centimeters. Fear flooded my system, making me more clumsy as I ran through the forest. Trees seemed to reach out and grab me. Roots appeared out of nowhere to send me sprawling. The men were getting closer, taunting me as I ran blindly through the trees. 

Within a few minutes, they had caught up with me, laughing as they cornered me against a rock face. Kiasho came up to me, reaching out a hand to grasp me. Suddenly, a knot of.... something stirred inside me, painful, demanding. I fell to my knees, crying out in pain. My body filled with prickling energy from my core. A snarl rippled in my throat. I had no idea what it was, but I blindly reached for that power, that energy, and let it build. I felt strong, powerful. It didn’t matter if I didn’t know who I was or where. All that mattered was I stopped them from hurting me. My head shot up, I glared hatefully at the men. 

"I'm not scared anymore." I snarled. The men stepped back, in a flash bringing weapons in front of them. I stood up and flew at them, blindly swiping and punching at a speed I would later realize was much faster than I ever imagined possible. 

The three of them flickered out of sight and reappeared in a tree a few feet away, looking down at me with wide eyes. I snarled again, a canine growl coming from within my throat. My teeth felt bigger than they usually were, crowding my mouth. My nails felt long, digging into my palms as I clenched my fists. My vision was tinged red with anger. 

I loved the fear in their faces. Kiasho glared at his men, and, taking the lead, launched himself at me from the tree. He threw metal weapons at me, which were easy to dodge, but his fists weren't. 

He seemed to be everywhere, punching, kicking, slicing. I was faster than I was before and stronger, but him and his buddies were more so. I fought back as best as I could, doing moves that I didn't believe I could have done before I lost my memory. These guys were really tough! That amazing power began to ebb the longer we fought, and they noticed it. 

"Her chakra and whatever else she has is fading. Finish her!" Kiasho snarled, lunging at me again. I retreated, stumbling over an exposed root. At that moment, the energy went back into that knot in my abdomen. Bleeding profusely, and close to unconsciousness, I could only lay there as Kiasho picked me up by my neck and held me in front of him.

"I think she's had enough, 'eh boys?" he asked, smirking. Naturally, they agreed with him. He pulled out another weapon and held it to my stomach. Looking me in the eyes, he sliced. Pain made me scream as the blood spilled. He and his men then proceeded to cut me wherever they wanted. The pain shocked me to full awareness, and I tried to get away, tried to summon that power that had filled me earlier. My efforts failed. I was dropped on the ground at some point, though through the pain, I didn't notice. 

"Kiasho, Can I kill her now?" The burly one asked, trembling in anticipation. 

"I suppose." Kiasho said, leaning against a tree to watch with his other partner. “She put up more of a fight than I thought she would. I could only slump there on my knees as he stood back, weapons at the ready.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A soft, but commanding voice said. I opened my eyes and looked to the tree a few feet behind the man that was going to kill me. 

The young man had crimson red hair that peeked out from underneath a white hood with blue symbols on it, and piercing seafoam eyes. The white robes he wore were immaculate and matched the headdress. A gourd was strapped onto his back, and he was dressed in red robes. A headband with a different symbol than Kiasho's gang was strapped to the leather that was holding his gourd to his back. Kiasho just looked at him. The man who was going to kill me hesitated, then quickly threw his weapons at me. I heard a hiss of. . .something as one of them hit me in the stomach, burying itself deep, I cried out, falling onto my side, clutching my stomach as blood poured. 

As grey bubbles filled my vision, I stared in confusion at the wall of sand in front of my body. It crumbled into a pile then actually slithered back to surround the young man who was standing in front of me. The man's weapons were just left laying on the ground. 

"I warned you." The young man whispered. Sand shot out of his gourd and wrapped itself around Kiasho and his men, totally encasing them. The young crimson haired man hissed something as I started to slip away. The last thing I heard were screams of agony.

* * *

I felt arms around me as I came to. Rain pelted me as I struggled to wake up. I was being carried, I realized, as I perceived movement. My eyes finally opened and I saw the young man's handsome face above me. 

He glanced down at me in slight concern before he concentrated on not running into a tree. Said trees were flashing by in a blur as he ran through the forest treetops faster than I could have imagined. He said nothing. His previously white robes were stained red. 

His face opened a door in my mind and my memory came flooding back. Tears welled in my eyes as I remembered. I reached up and touched his "love" mark on his forehead, making him look down at me again, a bit shocked.

"You aren’t alone. . .Gaara..." Frantic, gurgling coughs erupted from me, blood dripping from my mouth. I couldn’t hold on, and slipped into the dark. 


	3. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara saved her and brought her to the hospital in the Leaf Village. Being attacked and nearly killed was the least of her problems. How is she supposed to explain to the Hokage the circumstances of her arrival, and how she knows so much?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Previously, Chapter 2: Arrival):
> 
> "You aren’t alone. . .Gaara .. ." Frantic, gurgling coughs erupted from me, blood dripping from my mouth. I couldn’t hold on, and slipped into the dark.

**(Gaara)**

_ Her bleeding is extensive, _ I thought, briefly looking down at the woman in my arms. I had no idea who she was, but she seemed to know me.  _ I am not a healer. I may not make it to the Leaf Village in time.  _

My guards met up with me halfway to the village, expressing their concern at escaping from them in the forest and demanding to know who the woman was. 

“Rogue Leaf ninja decided she was no one of importance and wanted to play with their food,” I said with disgust. Though I was one to talk, considering my past. I pushed the thoughts away. I was not the same person I was then. 

“Where are we going, Kazekage?” a guard asked. 

“The Leaf hospital. Hopefully, they will be able to save her. It wasn’t her fault, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she is from the village, they will see kindly on the action.”  _ And, _ I added to myself,  _ I could use all the good press I can get.  _ Memories were long, and no one had forgotten my part in the attack on the village years ago. 

My guards and I leaped from branch to branch, the rain of no consequence. We sensed no other ninja around us. I spared another look down, very curious. For some reason, I felt the need to protect her. I felt. . . drawn to her in some way. She was fairly attractive, but I was not so easily swayed by a pretty woman. It had to be something more. Grimly, I focused on increasing our collective speed. All of that needed to wait. We needed to be faster. None of it would matter if she died. Blood continued to spread across my robes. 

Soon, we emerged from the tree cover. I streaked past the gates of Konoha, ignoring the guards who screamed at me to prove my identity. I deflected their kunai with sand without thinking when they retaliated against my silence. I raced towards the Hokage. She could save this strange, bleeding woman in my destructive arms.

“Lady Tsunade!” I bellowed, bursting through the guards and into her office. “This woman needs your aid!” I hold out the bloody, unconscious woman to her, breathing hard with uncharacteristic panic in my heart. Tsunade barked out orders to the people around her as she quickly came to me and examined the woman.

“What happened Gaara?” she asked, fingers and healing chakra flitting across the woman's injuries. 

“I found her about to be killed by a rogue ninja squad, previously of this village. They had cut her up almost to death, and one was about to kill her. He tried to finish the job before I could stop him. My sand was only quick enough to stop three of the kunai. The one I missed impaled her in the stomach. ” I looked at her as she looked up at me. Something must have shown in my eyes for her expression softened. 

“Are you and her together?” she asked. I was taken aback, and for the first time in my life, I blushed. 

“No. This was the first time I have ever seen her before.”  _ Though,  _ I added to myself silently,  _ I have a feeling of care for this woman, and I feel dread at the thought she might die.  _ I shoved all those alien emotions back and returned to my usual calm, collected, indifferent self. I gave nothing away. 

“Make sure she lives.” I began to walk out when the Hokage spoke once more.

“What did you do to the rogue ninja?” 

“I killed them.” I stared at her coolly, daring her to say anything. When she didn't, I calmly strode out, fighting the urge to run back and make sure they didn’t let her die.

* * *

**(Kira)**

I opened my eyes to see a white ceiling, and a pink haired woman leaning over me.

"Gahhh!" I screamed, rolling off the bed, hands up to ward off a blow

"Relax," the woman said, you're safe. Lady Tsunade, she's awake." The last part was directed to the hallway through the open door of the room I was in. Feeling foolish, I managed to drag myself back into bed grimacing at the waves of pain that assaulted me. I looked at the woman again and recognized who she was: Sakura!

"I can help with the pain if you like." she said, smiling kindly at me. I could only nod my head in agreement. She placed her hands on me and, with chakra flowing, took the pain I was feeling away. I sighed in relief, sitting up in the comfy bed.

"Thank you, Sakura." I said.

"You know who I am?" she asked, blatant shock on her face. “I don’t recognize you from the village.”

"Yeah. . .I know that seems a bit weird, but. . ." She just looked at me. "Well, you see, I. . ."

"I would like to hear your story first if you don't mind," a voice said. A lady walked in and stood next to the seated Sakura. It was Lady Tsunade. She was an imposing woman, a diamond mark on her forehead and an impressive chest. She wore a green jacket of sorts over a grey robe-like outfit and sandals. Her blond hair was short and choppy, framing her face with two ponytails down her back. Just like in the anime. I was in awe. I am pretty sure my mouth dropped open. She could kill me with one finger. 

"Uh, okay. That's. . .fine." I sat up and tried to get out of the bed. She put a hand on my shoulder and forced me, gently, back to a reclining position.

"Here is fine. Sakura, will you go and do my rounds?" 

"Sure. Do you want me to return Mr. Tonaka to his room? He should be resting now." Sakura said, standing and making her way to the door.

"Yes, please do." she then turned her attention to me as the door closed and silence descended upon us both. "So, what happened?" I told her about my dream, the vortex, my writing of what the voice had called "the lore,” my struggle with the three ninja in the forest, and my rescue by the red-haired Kazekage. I decided to keep out the part that all of this was supposed to be a fictional world from an anime. I figured she would have enough trouble with what I had already said. When I was finished, she looked thoughtfully outside the window for a minute, then looked at me. 

"Well, you've had quite the adventure, there Kira. And why did this. . .entity. . .send you here?" 

"To. . .save people. trouble is coming. . ." the words sounded lame to my own ears. I knew something was coming, and Gaara would be smack dab in the middle of it and would need help. But how was I supposed to say "I am here to save Gaara for the imminent danger ahead?" She'd probably lock me up.

"Or, you could be a terrible spy," Tsunade countered, narrowing her eyes at me. 

"NO! I mean, no. I'm not a spy, I assure you!" I bleated, on the verge of panic. She could squish me like a bug right here, right now.

"It's alright, no need to get worked up." she stated, frowning at me and placing her hand on me. "I really don't think you are a spy." Her hand glowed with chakra. "Stay still, you might strain what is left of your. . .injuries." She faltered as she felt along the line of my stomach where they would be. She lifted my shirt. I looked down and saw what had made her stumble; I was totally healed. I only had a bruised mass of flesh across my ribs. 

_ That's what made me hurt earlier _ , I thought, _ It wasn't the wounds at all! _

"You, uh, healed fairly quickly there. That's a but, unusual, to say the least," she continued, sitting back into the chair and staring at me with a wary look. "There is really only one other person that. . ." Tsunade began.

"Naruto." I interrupted before I realized that I maybe should have let her finish. Her look of thoughtfulness turned hard. 

"How do you know about him?" The Hokage watched me carefully. I sighed. There was only one way to try and dig myself out of this hole. I told her about how in my world, there was an anime and a manga called "Naruto”. . .

We sat in silence after I recounted everything I knew about her world and how I came to get that information. 

"It's my favorite anime show," I said sheepishly.

"Hmm. . ." that sound was her only reply. I was almost proud to see the look on her face. Awe with a tinge of disbelief, but also excitement. I mean, who wouldn't be excited at the idea of other dimensions? In this world? A knock came at the door.

"Lady Tsunade, um, a new round of papers is waiting for you. They, uh, need to be taken care of before the end of the day," a voice stammered from the other side of the door. The Hokage sighed.

"I hate paperwork. Well, I guess I should go take care of it." she sighed again and stood up. "Everyone is busy at the moment, so a village tour is out of the question." Tsunade said, distracted.

“You. . . believe me? You're not going to arrest me? Kill me? Throw me in the loony bin and lose the key?” I was astounded. It all sounded like a bunch of hokey. 

“I have seen, and heard, many weird, strange, and extraordinary things that I would never have thought possible. This is most likely just one of those things. I will, however, keep my eye on you. We all will. Just in case. If you do anything particularyl disturbing, or dangerous. . .” the hard look was back in her eyes, and the danger in them made me shrink back into the pillow, "You will have the full wrath of our military on your head." When I looked back up at her. A smile was on her face. "But I don't think you are a bad person, so that shouldn't be an issue!" Tsunade laughed. 

“Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I promise, I am what I said I am,” I said, wringing my hands in my lap.

"I'll take her," a voice murmured in a husky, deep voice. I shivered, and not with cold or fear. I knew that voice. It belonged to Gaara. 

"Gaara, Lord Kazekage, that is very thoughtful of you. I guess you have been here often enough to know your way around. However, I do know you will be returning to the Sand Village soon enough once all these meetings and posturing is over with.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, balefully looking over her shoulder. “Paperwork it is. My work is never done.” She turned to leave, raising a hand in farewell. “Someone will show you where you will be staying, Kira, later in the evening.” Tsunade disappeared around the corner. 

After she left, Gaara strode in, wearing common clothes and not his Kage regalia. I couldn't help but ogle him. I was a woman, after all. And he had grown into his own. I chided myself, bringing myself to attention. Not the time to get flustered. I had somehow convinced Lady Tsunade of all people that I was a dimensional traveler. Thankfully, I looked as threatening as a kitten. I needed alcohol. 

He waited outside until I was dressed in plain clothes, leaving my bloodied ones behind. I pushed my notebook into one of the large pockets  When I was ready, I walked outside the room and he escorted me into the street.

“Lord Kazekage. . .” I began softly. 

“You don’t have to use the honorific, Kira. Call me Gaara, as you did the day you arrived.” 

I began again. “Gaara. . . thank you. For saving me, for bringing me here. . .”

He paused and looked sideways at me. “You’re welcome.” The brief touch of his warm hand on the small of my back as we started walking thrilled me, but I didn't let that show on my face. He probably thought I was a nut-job, saying I was from another dimension. The dirt ground of the streets stirred as Gaara and I made our way through the town. I could hardly stop glancing at him as he softly narrated our walk. Children and other ninjas walked or ran by, glancing at me curiously before going on their way.

I looked up into the sky as I felt an. . .awareness prickle at the back of my neck. A blurred form shot from the roof of one building to the roof of another across the street. I gasped and Gaara snapped his head to look at me, his eyes flicking around, then looking in the direction I was looking in. Relief flashed in his face for a second, then was gone.

"One of my guards. They insist on following me everywhere," he murmured, blank face in place once more. “Especially after I ditched them last night after my nightly meeting with local officials. They didn’t appreciate it very much.” His eyes seemed to be filled with light amusement. I blushed and looked away. In silence, we kept walking. Even though I knew most of what he was telling me, I let him continue to point out local amusements and the like. 

Some time later, Gaara touched my arm and nodded over to a place to eat. Realizing I was starving, I smiled gratefully at him and we entered the cool interior. His guards stood outside, while two came in to sit nearby. Sitting down at a table for two, I couldn't help but admire him. His hair begged for me to touch it. It was more a reddish-brown color than what I remember from the show. It suited him very well. His seafoam eyes, they seemed to bore into mine hungrily, searchingly, even though his face remained relatively blank. Maybe I was making it all up. I probably was. He was probably just as curious as everyone else.

He watched me as I looked over the menu, taking a drink of the water that had been set in front of him. I just pointed at a random assortment of sushi to the waitress and waited for my food. I glanced questioningly at Gaara.

"Aren't you going to get something to eat?" I asked him, sipping at my own water. The cold liquid eased my dry throat.

"You ordered the portion for two. I assumed it would be fine if we shared," he said, watching my mouth as I took another sip. I shivered under his gaze. I licked my lips.

"That's fine. . . Gaara," I answered breathlessly, swallowing hard as I set my glass down on the table. The sushi arrived shortly after, breaking our pseudo staring contest. 

As we finished eating, a ninja entered the restaurant, his eyes lighting up when he saw us. 

I glanced up at the man across from me and saw that he was still looking at the other ninja. The look in his eyes went from irritation to blankness in a split second. When he saw that I was watching him, that blankness intensified, though I could see the struggle in his eyes. His hands were clenched at his sides.

Curious, but not stupid, I looked away and smiled at the ninja that was now at my side.

"My name is Diasko, and I will be showing you to your home. Please follow me." The ninja didn't so much as smile back or give Gaara a glance. In fact, he seemed uncomfortable being close to him. He turned on his heels and began to walk out. Startled, I threw a pleading glance to Gaara as I scrambled up from the table and after the retreating ninja. He simply regarded me with his now-blank eyes and gave the briefest of waves as I exited into the street with my new guide.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Heya!
> 
> I have many chapters already written for this fic, and finally got the courage to post some of it! I plan on continuing to write and post once a week. If life gets in the way, at least every other. However, if there is enough interest, I will make sure to buckle down and post weekly. 
> 
> The chapters are relatively short. I plan on making some edits as I go along to make them longer as needed. I started this awhile ago, so the earlier chapters could use some work.


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